Minimal electronics that sweep, pounding electronics that thrill and nearly fifty years worth of lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll.
Our Record of the Week is II, the second studio album from Kiasmos, the collaborative forces of Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds and Faroese musician Janus Rasmussen. This second set arrives a full decade after their much-loved debut and is both familiar and strikingly fresh. Organic and cinematic-sounding electronic flourishes, with tight beats and sweeping neo-classics. You could pick any one second of this at random and it will sound sublime, but the real masterstroke is the way it slowly evolves. Highly recommended.
+ Available on limited double Clear vinyl.
+ We will be announcing the winner of a signed test pressing this weekend.
The week’s biggest bang comes from Kinshasa-based electronic blazers KOKOKO! and the all-new BUTU LP. The title translates as “the night” in lingala, and they sure have channelled that hot and chaotic energy here. An album of supreme vibrance!
Beauty in your Wake is the eight studio LP from the long-established alt-folk trio Fink. Under the direction of Fin Greenall, the now Berlin-based artist decamped to Zennor in Cornwall to really take their genre-hopping sound somewhere pastoral. Really lush production.
+ Available on exclusive 'Cornish' Blue vinyl.
So as you well know, we tend to cover compilations as part of our Best New Reissue features, but seeing as we have him on firm rotation on the stereo, we wanted to end today by talking about the absolute icon that is Wild Billy Childish.
Released to celebrate the forthcoming release of Ted Kessler’s new book – To Ease My Troubled Mind: The Authorised Unauthorised History of Billy Childish - From Fossilised Cretaceous Seams: A Short History of His Song and Dance Groups is a double album compilation that achieves the remarkable task of covering 47 years of his music making. Releases from his work as; The Buff Medways, CTMF, The Spartan Dreggs, The Pop Rivets and naturally an appearance from Holly Golightly amongst many more. One of the few artists who is instantly recognisable whilst never sounding like he’s treading the same paths. Raw and vital, an outsider artist of great invention. Really great stuff!
Reissues include: Shin Joong-Hyun, Donald Byrd, Wayne Shorter, Mike Nyoni & Born Free and J Dilla.
Happy Independence day!